Conventions may be canceled

JAKARTA (JP): At least 40 business conventions to be held in Indonesia this year are under threat of cancellation following the incessant political conflicts and riots, an executive said.

Chairman of the Indonesian Congress and Convention Association (INCCA) Iqbal Alan Abdullah said that the challenge facing the Indonesian MICE -- meetings, incentives, convention, exhibitions -- industry this year are a lot tougher than last year.

"If there are no major changes (towards political and security instability) we are sure that conference activities in Indonesia will decline by 10 percent," he was quoted by Bisnis Indonesia as saying.

About 400 conference activities were held in Indonesia last year, according to the association's monitoring.

"If there is a positive sign of improvement by April, we may still be able to maintain the number (of conferences in 2000)," he said. (tnt)